Liverpool event will offer Merseyside firms the chance to learn about the internet of things

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne talks to Dr Munira Raja during a visit to the University of Liverpool's Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics

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During the International Festival for Business 2014 in Liverpool this summer, Chancellor George Osborne announced a £15m project to turn the city into a global research and innovation centre for the “internet of things”.

Sensor City is a project being set up by the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University which will house and support new high-tech businesses around “sensor technologies”.

Sensors are the crucial link between technological devices and the world around them and can be installed in all kinds of everyday products.

The internet of things is the universal phrase coined to describe a growing network of interconnected internet-enabled devices or ‘things’ that can send and receive data.

This could be anything from everyday household items such as televisons washing machines, fridges and lamps, to components in manufacturing machines, major infrastructures and medicines.

Analysts at Gartner forecast that the internet of things will reach 26bn installed units by 2020,

Now an event taking place in Liverpool this autumn will give small firms in the city region the chance to find out more about the internet of things.

The Connected Digital Economy Catapult, a national centre set up to advance the UK’s best digital ideas, will host Boost –an event to connect internet of things experts from across the UK with small and fledging businesses.

It takes place on Friday, October 3, from 11am-7pm at DoES Liverpool, a co-working space and workshop made up of a community of entrepreneurs, makers, artists, software developers, engineers and academics in Hanover Street in the city centre.

Experts from companies including RPD International, MCQ, PHD UK and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, will run one-to-one, confidential advice clinics on an array of topics related to the possibilities unlocked by the internet of things.

After these sessions, there will also be a showcase where start-ups can demonstrate their prototypes to some of the Catapult’s corporate partners.

Marko Balabanovic, innovation director at The Connected Digital Economy Catapult, told ECHO Business: “We are in a time of rapid innovation, with the internet of things representing a huge opportunity for small firms and start-ups.

“The Digital Catapult exists to help them capitalise on that opportunity by providing the tools and expertise which will enable them to more quickly bring new ideas to market.

“But the internet of things is not just about building new applications or niche products. Its potential is far more wide-reaching. Namely, big data – the valuable behavioural insights and data collected by the devices could significantly change the way SMEs operate and market to customers.

“The DoES space features a living lab where practically everything you see is connected to the internet in some shape or form – coffee pots, laser-cutters and even the doors. With the rapid growth in the maker community and bourgeoning Baltic Triangle, we’re excited to be joining the Liverpool community this October.”

Tickets require a deposit of £40, which will be refunded on arrival to ensure everyone who books an expert clinic attends.